February Covid: it’s still a thing

[NewOrleans]

just starting it off with this— even though it was 1/30– still current enough and looking forward.

www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/us/politics/biden-covid-public-health-emergency.html

The Biden administration plans to let the coronavirus public health emergency expire in May, the White House said on Monday, a sign that federal officials believe the pandemic has moved into a new, less dire phase. [it’s really not, they just don’t want to fund shit and want to do a capitalism]

The White House wants to keep the emergency in place for several more months so hospitals, health providers and health officials can prepare for a host of changes that will come when it ends, officials said. Millions of Americans have received free Covid tests, treatments and vaccines during the pandemic, and not all of that will continue to be free once the emergency is declared over

[Bad Dingo]

I'm definitely worried about the impact of letting the PHE expire. Personally I've loved the extra access and coverage of telehealth.

[pixy0stix]

There's a weird sort of comfort in the fact that covid is just now another thing that will eventually kill us that the government is choosing to turn a blind eye towards. Let's spend more money on military contracts!

[osulori]

Feb 1, 2023 9:36:51 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

I'm definitely worried about the impact of letting the PHE expire. Personally I've loved the extra access and coverage of telehealth.

Same-coverage of telehealth for our patients has been amazing.  I'm really really worried about what will happen to that once the PHE expires.

[pixy0stix]

I think part of it is that the GOP is still trying to scare people into thinking there are going to be lockdowns again, so this takes away some of their ammunition before the election really starts going.

For GOP base, battles over coronavirus vaccines, closures are still fiery (gift link) - wapo.st/3wJpXJY

[lo]

I know more people right now that have Covid than in a very long time.

[wanderingback]

People who have been and continue to be cautious, what are your thoughts about how you’re handling Covid long term?

I still wear my mask everywhere, haven’t gone without it since 2020. Haven’t done much indoor dining, only when cases were low.

I saw that usher is performing in Cegas and I’ve never been to Vegas, never had a huge desire to go, but thought it’d be a fun nostalgic thing to do with my best friend. But then I was like wait, do I really want to/feel comfortable going to Vegas in a large stadium venue and then probably going out too? Am I avoiding these things forever?

I have flown once last year, and twice in 2021. Admittedly all times in upgraded sears so I wasn’t smooshed next to people and obviously had my n95 on the whole time, but am wondering how I’ll feel about ongoing travel regularly?

Just wondering how other people are feeling now that many many many people seem to be acting like the pandemic is over.

[noodleoo]

So I should stock up on Covid tests since they are covered by my insurance right now?

[bee20]

wanderingback , I've been very careful, still wear a mask most places so similar to you. I will drop the mask if it's an event where I am trying to build human connection and I accept the risk of getting covid. For your example I'd weigh if the mental health benefit of a fun time with your friend outweighs the potential of getting sick. It's personal but when I go in knowing I might get covid I am less stressed about the possibility.

My work had a large conference/meeting and since I hadn't met most people IRL I decided to not use a mask. Several people picked it up that week (including someone who went home with a fever immediately after we spent a few hours talking face to face) so part of it is luck. I had a mandatory conference the week before I had a big camping/hiking trip planned with friends and masked fully during the day there, since I did not want to get sick and ruin my plans.

I don't see a reason to ever drop masking in shops or on public transportation. It's not much of a burden to me after 3 years.  I'm starting to think of when I'd be ok eating indoors, maybe in the summer when cases are low? But I haven't done that yet.

[msmerymac]

wanderingback, I was one of 2-3 people in the car on my commuter train ride in this morning wearing a mask. Thankfully no one sat next to me. I don't want to spread anything around my house.

The city of Los Angeles let the eviction moratorium expire, but LA County is extending it for 2 more months: www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-25/l-a-county-extends-eviction-moratorium-by-2-months

The proposal also included some relief for small landlords, but no real details about what that entails. I have a friend who applied for the city (and maybe federal? or state?) rent relief at the beginning of the pandemic. Anyone know if those programs still exist?

[sillygoosegirl]

We're still not going to restaurants and masking when we leave home. I have a friend with long COVID, and I worry DH might have long COVID too. He literally got it 4 times in the fall, and then was sick an additional time in January (didn't test positive that time), which makes me think maybe he's been relapsing. He wears an N95 everywhere. In our own house half the time because he is sick half the time.

I just honestly don't know what to do. It looks like the pandemic is over... nobody is taking precautions anymore. But this is still a super nasty virus and I don't really want to take my chances with what it might do to my body if I just let myself re-catch it every month or so. On the other hand, it looks like if we're lucky we will be getting boosted annual in the future, or maybe less, so probably there will only be more COVID in the future, and possibly it will get more dangerous. Certainly it'll get more dangerous to me as I age. Am I really never going to an indoor waterpark again? Because that's what I miss and most wish I could do. (Outdoor waterparks aren't a thing here.) I have returned to most regular activities... just in a mask. Turns out I don't actually miss eating inside a restaurant that much.

[pixy0stix]

wanderingback, we've dropped all precautions. Two people in my household have high contact with the outside world and don't mask, so it's pointless for me to continue. The only place we mask is at the airport.

[rubytue]

Feb 1, 2023 10:48:02 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

People who have been and continue to be cautious, what are your thoughts about how you’re handling Covid long term?

I still wear my mask everywhere, haven’t gone without it since 2020. Haven’t done much indoor dining, only when cases were low.

I saw that usher is performing in Cegas and I’ve never been to Vegas, never had a huge desire to go, but thought it’d be a fun nostalgic thing to do with my best friend. But then I was like wait, do I really want to/feel comfortable going to Vegas in a large stadium venue and then probably going out too? Am I avoiding these things forever?

I have flown once last year, and twice in 2021. Admittedly all times in upgraded sears so I wasn’t smooshed next to people and obviously had my n95 on the whole time, but am wondering how I’ll feel about ongoing travel regularly?

Just wondering how other people are feeling now that many many many people seem to be acting like the pandemic is over.

I feel this so much. I’ve just started feeling ok-ish eating indoors. And then only rarely. One of the last mask holdouts in my office and stores. And then…

Well, it was my annual girls-trip on The Rock Boat. A full-ship music charter. I wore an N95 on the flight, and had enough masks to make it through the week. But literally everyone was all back to normal. And, while it wasn’t peer pressure, but more me looking around and thinking “shit, everyone else is moving on and they are fine.” So, the mask came off after my airport Uber (Sunday). But Wednesday I had a scratchy throat and a feeling of post-nasal drip. But, so much plausible deniability because, rock music cruise. Tested negative that night. The next afternoon, chills set in. Still negative rapid. But I called it and went to medical for a PCR, which was positive. I totally feel I ducked around and found out.

I can’t decide what this will do to me. It could be “never taking it off again” or “well, sure enough, I took it off and I didn’t die.” 🤷‍♀️ Time will tell. But I will say that in March 2020, having just finished cancer treatment (for an immune system cancer) I was convinced I would die from Covid. And here we are now, with treatments (amazing!). And I didn’t die. I had 2 nights of misery, but not even norovirus misery. So, what does my future hold?  Not sure. Just knowing that I will enjoy my upcoming Matt Nathenson show without a mask, since I’ll still be in the post-Covid window of highly unlikely. 

[mpm]

wanderingback we are still masking indoors and in crowds, and not eating inside restaurants. My parents winter here and they are the only people we see indoors unmasked, everyone testing first. My husband attends business lunches and doesn’t eat or drink at them.

My dad got cancer from a HPV infection he contracted before I was even born and personally seeing such a devastating long-term effect of another initially “mild” viral infection is really guiding our actions right now. We probably aren’t going to fully know the long-term effects of covid in our lifetime, but to me that just means it’s prudent to continue to exercise some reasonable caution especially when my decisions aren’t just for my own long-term protection. We fortunately live in an area where we can enjoy being outdoors most of the year so I don’t feel like we’re giving up that much. It is frustrating to be the only covid-cautious people in an area that has never been even a little bit covid-cautious, but then it also feels silly to relax what we’re doing only due to peer pressure because it’s not like the risk of infection has lessened.

[chickadee77]

We're still very cautious- we mask and avoid going out if we can avoid it.

That said, we're planning a big move this spring/summer (just did one in 2021, as well) and I want to see my family. I feel *better* knowing everyone in my household is vaxxed/boosted as much as we can be, which was not the case even last summer with vax age restrictions.

It sucks that it feels like people are tra-la-la about it, but I guess maybe I'm tired and feeling like pp who said, "Welp, just another thing that's gonna get us." We don't plan to stop masking, since it's such an EASY way to avoid so much yuck (even non-covid yuck) but I can see, post-move to a place with a much higher vax rate, starting to get out and about again in a much more significant way.

[icedcoffee]

wanderingback, For a concert I would absolutely go only if I could "afford" to get COVID. For example, we went on a cruise purposely more than 2 weeks before XMas so that if we got it Xmas wouldn't be ruined. We knew we could stay home and quarantine if we got it. And we did. So...

As for masking...I'm kind of doing the same thing. 2 weeks before my vacation I masked like crazy because I didn't want to catch COVID and have to cancel.

Right now I'm a little more whatever about masks because...it's Feb and nothing happens in Feb. LOL

Basically--I pick and choose when I am cautious now depending on what's going on. Masking and avoiding crowds is not an all or nothing decision.

[fortnightlily]

I know for my household, the decision to loosen precautions wasn't about 'acting like the pandemic is over' but more about 'acting like the pandemic will *never* be over so is masking and social avoidance for the long-term foreseeable future worth it'.

ETA - I also think, increasingly, tracking case rates is unreliable enough to be pointless. My area doesn't do wastewater testing. Since the last low late last March, hospitalization and death rates in my area have been fairly steady. It feels like we're just reaching a baseline of illness now, not as many large swings.

[penguingrrl]

wanderingback we were extremely cautious, especially as H is permanently on rituxan for an autoimmune disease. He still masks at work because it’s hundreds of people per floor and just a sea of desks without so much as cubicle walls, but he’s pretty much alone in masking there.

However, we relaxed quite a bit when Covid went through our house last year. He got paxlovid and did very well, so we were less anxious after that.

My sister is a 3rd year surgical resident having graduated in spring of 2020. We take a lot of our advice from her since she works in a busy hospital in Newark. She is comfortable with us unmasking and eating in restaurants based on what she’s seeing at work (level of sickness, response to treatments, etc). She said if/when it’s time to mask universally again she’ll tell me.


@@@
Once NJ schools removed the mask mandate we dropped pretty much all precautions other than H masking at work. We originally intended to keep our kids masking but our two younger ones are neurodivergent and masking with them was spotty at best and they were literally the only folks in the building masking (I was watching carefully) and were constantly answering questions about it and it was making them very uncomfortable. Also, that’s when lunch crammed into the cafeteria resumed, so we didn’t feel masking was worth it if they had to eat in the cafeteria crammed next to and across from a ton of kids.

[tacokick]

We mask indoors and in crowded situations. We don’t eat at restaurants. When my husband goes into work he reserves a work room and eats alone (or outside when it’s warm). I truly don’t care what other people do or think so I’m fine with us masking. I’m not going to a big conference this year because there are no options for food besides a cafeteria that will not allow you to take food out.

We do socialize with people at home(s) unmasked but luckily everyone we know has some sense and tests before hand and we improve air flow and ventilation or are outdoors.

Personally, I am concerned for other people and that is the big reason why I mask in public. It really seems like the bare minimum to do for people who are at risk and want to work and live their lives. I’m not interested in being part of the reason people have to hide out forever. I find that the more people see people wearing a mask and taking things seriously the more they mask themselves and are thoughtful of others

[erbear]

wanderingback, I’m in a balance stage. We mask indoors in crowded spaces — grocery stores, concerts, theaters, public transportation, airports, planes — but not at work unless lots of people are sick. We do eat out so there’s not a lot of rhyme or reason to it.

[aurora]

I am definitely curious how much will change after the PHE ends. Maybe it will look different for people in red vs blue states.

[fuckyourcouch]

We are still extremely careful. I'm chronically ill, on immune suppressants. I'm not really afraid of dying of it anymore, which is what everyone loves assuring me won't happen. I simply don't want any more autoimmune diseases or significant issues. I don't want to be any more sick or incapacitated long term than I already am.
We don't eat inside and I don't go anywhere indoors unmasked.

We have an international trip at the end of the month that was supposed to happen in 2020 and I'm excited for the trip but honestly terrified. We flew once last spring and I n95 masked the entire time, no breaks. I will not be able to do that 15 hours to Japan.

[sillygoosegirl]

Feb 1, 2023 12:20:37 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Personally, I am concerned for other people and that is the big reason why I mask in public. It really seems like the bare minimum to do for people who are at risk and want to work and live their lives. I’m not interested in being part of the reason people have to hide out forever. I find that the more people see people wearing a mask and taking things seriously the more they mask themselves and are thoughtful of others

Yeah, I think this is what bothers me most too. I was shocked when the CDC guidelines came out about only masking around at-risk people that suddenly 90% of folks too off their mask in public places. At risk people still need groceries, y'all. They still need to ride the bus. I don't know who the at risk people at the grocery store are, but I'm sure they exist. If you have a small private gathering and nobody is at risk, I really don't judge. But in public spaces, especially places providing essential services, it seems like a reasonable assumption that you don't know other people's risk factors. And almost nobody seems to gives a crap. That's so sad to me. COVID has really ruined my faith in people.

[dulcemariamar]

Feb 1, 2023 10:48:02 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

People who have been and continue to be cautious, what are your thoughts about how you’re handling Covid long term?

I still wear my mask everywhere, haven’t gone without it since 2020. Haven’t done much indoor dining, only when cases were low.

I saw that usher is performing in Cegas and I’ve never been to Vegas, never had a huge desire to go, but thought it’d be a fun nostalgic thing to do with my best friend. But then I was like wait, do I really want to/feel comfortable going to Vegas in a large stadium venue and then probably going out too? Am I avoiding these things forever?

I have flown once last year, and twice in 2021. Admittedly all times in upgraded sears so I wasn’t smooshed next to people and obviously had my n95 on the whole time, but am wondering how I’ll feel about ongoing travel regularly?

Just wondering how other people are feeling now that many many many people seem to be acting like the pandemic is over.

I was going to ask a similar question because I still wear a mask everywhere but I work in a school so I am surrounded by hundreds of people and germs every day. It is frustrating because I think the risk is still there. I have too many coworkers that got quite sick and were out for weeks with long Covid or never returned to work.

If I was in your shoes then I would go to the concert with a mask on and I would hang out with my friend and maybe just go for either early or late meals to avoid massive crowds if you can.

I still travel and go to work but I admit that I don’t socialize that much outside of work, maybe once every two months. I am an introvert anyway so that is ok with me.

[breezy8407]

Back to normal, except I mask at the airport/airplane. I sometimes ask myself why since I don't mask anywhere else. Even if its not covid, I would rather not catch any sickness from the stranger next to me.

[dulcemariamar]

Feb 1, 2023 11:17:03 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

We're still not going to restaurants and masking when we leave home. I have a friend with long COVID, and I worry DH might have long COVID too. He literally got it 4 times in the fall, and then was sick an additional time in January (didn't test positive that time), which makes me think maybe he's been relapsing. He wears an N95 everywhere. In our own house half the time because he is sick half the time.

I just honestly don't know what to do. It looks like the pandemic is over... nobody is taking precautions anymore. But this is still a super nasty virus and I don't really want to take my chances with what it might do to my body if I just let myself re-catch it every month or so. On the other hand, it looks like if we're lucky we will be getting boosted annual in the future, or maybe less, so probably there will only be more COVID in the future, and possibly it will get more dangerous. Certainly it'll get more dangerous to me as I age. Am I really never going to an indoor waterpark again? Because that's what I miss and most wish I could do. (Outdoor waterparks aren't a thing here.) I have returned to most regular activities... just in a mask. Turns out I don't actually miss eating inside a restaurant that much.

I still travel and eat out when we are away. We just try to avoid the busy times and also unmask to eat and put them back on when we are done.

[wildrice]

Feb 1, 2023 12:06:19 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

I know for my household, the decision to loosen precautions wasn't about 'acting like the pandemic is over' but more about 'acting like the pandemic will *never* be over so is masking and social avoidance for the long-term foreseeable future worth it'.

This is where we are. At this rate I don't think we are ever going to see an end to COVID, or at least not for many years. And I'm just not willing to give up big portions of my life long term. I do not mind masking in a lot of situations but for things like restaurants, breweries, gatherings with a chosen group of people, etc it is really annoying and (IMO) kind of useless anyway - pulling up and down your mask to eat/take drinks still means a lot of time in close proximity breathing the same air so you're getting exposed anyway, and I'm not willing to give those things up for years on end. I do mask when flying and anytime I'm in a crowded place, but if I'm walking around (i.e. not near the same people for several minutes at a time) and/or can socially distance, I don't always mask. I work in a health clinic so we still mask at work, too. I would absolutely go to a concert and actually have tickets to a few this year already. Only one is indoors and I haven't really thought about whether or not I'll mask there. It's not for a few months so I guess we'll see.

I know there is a risk involved with getting COVID, but there are health risks from a lot of things. At this point, the risk to me feels worth going back to doing things I enjoy. Others may feel differently for themselves and that's ok. 

I wish that instead of ending a public health emergency, we could make some changes to policy long term that support the things that this will take away. Like telehealth. I am pretty sure my state passed a law that allows billing for telehealth through insurance, and I think others should follow suit. We also should always have access to vaccines and tests for this and other things, which I know isn't real life in the US but should be. 

[estrellita]

We stopped being cautious. We only mask if we're at a doctor's office or something where it's required, though I do plan to mask if sick and NEED to go anywhere for some reason (would try to avoid it if possible of course).

Covid finally got BIL. He had a "cold" over the weekend, tested negative, went back to his not-GF's house (that's a long story) where a few people had it, then tested positive yesterday. MIL insists he didn't have it while he was at their house over the weekend. I'm skeptical because I know tests can sometimes take a few days to show positive. Just hope ILs don't end up with it. They're both disabled, MIL has lupus, FIL is mostly healthy but things would be tough if he were out of commission since MIL can't do a lot of the things he does. FX she's right and he didn't have it there!

[waverly]

wanderingback , We aren't masking anymore. I do think there is a rural/ suburban/ city aspect to all of this. Many in the country never masked, in the suburbs we all masked through our mandate which was Feb 2022, and the city still have lots that are masking and no indoor restaurants etc. Since we are in the suburbs we dropped our masks as of Feb 2022. We have not flown since then so all travel was masked. The last time we flew was November of 2021. For shopping, I am not near other people and not taking up much time with the cashier that I would think that I am transmitting anything. I know there are people out there that transmit more, and maybe my anecdotes are malarkey, but I had  every virus in existence, and I never once gave it to my co-worker that I shared an office with. We face away from each other about 5 feet apart, so that may be why. And if I am really sick I stay home especially if I am in the most transmissible part of the illness which usually is at the beginning.

When we first got Covid it was from an outside encounter with a couple of people. It was not from traveling or a crowded venue. I think it is more like, is the person closest to you in the transmissible part of the disease. As long as the 10 people closest to you in the crowd don't have Covid, then you are probably fine. But you run into a super spreader person, or someone sitting next to you has Covid then you are probably going to get it. That being said, if you want to continue to wear masks all power to you.

[dulcemariamar]

Feb 1, 2023 12:05:21 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

wanderingback, For a concert I would absolutely go only if I could "afford" to get COVID. For example, we went on a cruise purposely more than 2 weeks before XMas so that if we got it Xmas wouldn't be ruined. We knew we could stay home and quarantine if we got it. And we did. So...

As for masking...I'm kind of doing the same thing. 2 weeks before my vacation I masked like crazy because I didn't want to catch COVID and have to cancel.

Right now I'm a little more whatever about masks because...it's Feb and nothing happens in Feb. LOL

Basically--I pick and choose when I am cautious now depending on what's going on. Masking and avoiding crowds is not an all or nothing decision.

I do the same for our trips